The Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity is accepting FY27 applications for the Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program (CEJA), FY27-1 / CSFA 420-30-3137. The program supports nonprofit Climate Works Hubs that recruit, prescreen, prepare, train, and support participants for construction, building-trades, registered-apprenticeship, and clean-energy career pathways.
DCEO lists $16,000,000 in estimated total program funding, anticipates 3 awards, and publishes a single-award range of $3,000,000 to $6,500,000. The controlling Illinois GATA opportunity states that no cost share or match is required and that indirect costs are allowed without stated restrictions.
Eligible prime applicants are nonprofit organizations that satisfy the Climate Works Hub definition and the NOFO’s capacity requirements. Applicants must demonstrate service to diverse and underrepresented populations, construction and building-trades knowledge, relationships with registered apprenticeship programs, recruitment and pre-screening capacity, training and work-readiness capability, and a plan to address participant barriers. The applicant team must be able to deliver or coordinate barrier-reduction and participant-support services.
The published application deadline is October 30, 2026 at 5:00 PM. The controlling GATA record and NOFO do not state a deadline time zone. Atlas must verify the time zone with DCEO before any deadline-sensitive applicant outreach or submission. The current opportunity is posted September 22, 2026, and DCEO lists a nonmandatory technical-assistance session for September 30, 2026 at 1:00 PM.
Application preparation should use the controlling NOFO and official forms, including the Uniform Grant Application, Uniform Budget, required disclosures, work plan, staffing and qualification materials, partnership documentation, and other required attachments. Applicant-specific facts must be verified and unresolved facts must be treated as account input required.
Atlas Opportunity Score: 84/100. This is a strong Illinois workforce opportunity because it combines substantial state funding, no required match, multi-million-dollar awards, and direct relevance to qualified nonprofit workforce and construction-trades organizations.
N9+ Fit: 0/100. The controlling materials establish a construction and clean-energy workforce-development purpose and do not establish a legitimate N9+ or QC Healthcare pathway. N9+ should not be introduced in ordinary outreach for this program.
Direct Vendor Review: This is an applicant grant, not a direct Dr. Miltie or QC Healthcare procurement.
Official source: Illinois DCEO FY27 Illinois Climate Works Pre-apprenticeship Program.